Buy Me With Your Love
by ejo
Summary: Mikan Sakura is in debt. To be able to pay everything, she works as Natsume Hyuuga's girlfriend by day and maid by night. Little does she know that she's part of a larger plan that is going to change her for life.
1. Prologue

Title: Buy Me With Your Love

Prologue

In this world, there are only three types of people: the rich, the middle-class, and the poor. In my years, I've always been part of the less privileged group. I am friends with some of my middle-class classmates, but none of them would want to be seen with me once we leave the campus. Ever since I have entered high school, I have been working since my late uncle died of lung cancer and left me with a huge debt. Even as a college student, I am still paying the debt that was never mine to pay.

"Sakura!" a loud voice boomed outside the kitchen. "Get yo ass in here and start serving the customers!"

I took the last tray of bun rolls from the oven and placed three of them on the plate. I ran out of the kitchen doors and served them at Table 23. "I apologize for the delay." I said as I put every plate from the tray to the table.

"Is this non-fat?" asked a skinny girl who looks like she needs to learn that she's eating in a fast food restaurant.

I mustered a smile. "Nope."

She pushed the plate away from her with her slender fingers. She leaned closer to her boyfriend (I assumed he's the boyfriend, especially the way he displays his hand on her thighs. Eek!) and played with the curls of his hair. "Tweenie-beanie, I can't believe I'm eating this kind of food." she groaned in a childish manner.

The muscular guy turned to her and pouted, "Don't worry, munchkin. I'll tell the stupid waitress to fix your meal." He turned to me this time and pounded his fists against the table. "You heard my girlfriend. Go FIX this meal."

I couldn't help but grind my teeth in fury. He's selfish and he's in a relationship with a stupid woman who doesn't have any idea that this restaurant does not serve any fat-free food or drinks, unless she counts water! He could have asked in a nice manner, but he's an arrogant man. And he messed with the wrong girl.

So I added new ingredients in the girl's sandwich. It took her up to the last bite to notice that she's eating chicken drenched in spit and dust. And that is the story of how I lost my job.

While taking the longer road on the way home, I could not help but compute the numbers I have to pay in my head. So far, I already paid fifty grand of the debt and it's still not enough. I still have to count my tuition and my daily expenses. Sometimes I feel that God is mocking me. For God's sake, I just turned nineteen! I want to live how girls my age usually live. There are a lot of times I thought about dying, but I never had the courage to do it. I'm scared of dying. I'm scared of not waking up to see tomorrow.

As I continue to walk, I find a can lying on the ground. Its body is all wrinkled and the rust has been accumulating for about some time now. Out of frustration, I kick it.

Little did I know about the things that are about to happen because of that rusty junk.


	2. Chapter 1

Title: Buy Me With Your Love

Chapter One

I feel everything around me is turning slowly. Or has the sun's heat finally caught up to me? As I push back the swirling feelings that are trying to get out of me, I feel a vomit coming. The shards are all over the area and the driver looks as if he's ready to murder anybody near him. Apparently, the can hit his car and it brought a big damage.

Three options occur in my head:

Run away

Take responsibility

Find another can and hope I hit him in the head

I like to take my chances with option three but there's no can in sigh. So I only have one option left to do.

I have to run away.

With all my power, I run away from the crime scene. I used to be a track runner during my middle school days, but apparently my lack of practice made me slow. As I sense my stamina draining by every second, I decide to glance back just to see if the driver's following me.

Everything that happened after that was blurry. The driver's two times faster than me and it didn't take three minutes for him to catch me. My collar's tightly tucked inside his palm, I begin to draft my apology in my head.

"You got spunk to run away like that, don't you?" his voice is rough from the running, giving me the impression that he's not used to running like this. I look up at him and could not help but admire his Adonis-like features. He's tall, his shoulders are broad, his eyes glisten than a ray of sunshine, his hair is black as coal, and I begin to wonder whether I destroyed a top model's brand new car.

He bends down until our eyes are at the same level. "Are you deaf?"

I push him away. "Look, pal," I hiss. "I'm sorry I broke your car, I'm having a bad day as well. Let's just call it quits."

I feel that his grip tightens, his knuckles turning white. "Quits, you say?" his voice sounds hauntingly frightening but dreamy at the same time. "After you broke the car I've been waiting for almost a year, do you honestly think I'll just accept your apology?"

"If you weren't parking there, the accident wouldn't have happen at all!" I yell.

"If you didn't kick that junk, this argument wouldn't exist at all!" he retorts and his response leaves me no choice but to stay silent. As I play the scenes in my head, a tiny voice bugs me that it was my fault and I should recompense the driver.

"How much is the car?" I ask. "And how much would I have to pay to settle everything?"

"Roughly around 3.9 million," he replies and I feel cold water being poured at me. "Repairing would perhaps be around 7000 dollars since you broke the windshield."

"S-Seven thousand?" my jaw drops and I could see him smirking at my display of surprise. "You must be joking, right?"

He stares at me sternly. "I've been waiting for this Lamborghini Murcielago and I am not joking when it comes to my _toys_."

I muster the friendliest smile I could. "I currently have three dollars, would that suffice?"

He smiles and I begin to sense that he might not be such a bad person after all.

"No."

"Do you think I can pay you some other time?" I ask, trying not to look nervous but I think my voice's giving away.

"No."

"Do you, er, think you can forgive me?" I ask.

"No." he says again.

"Is 'no' the only word you know?"

"No."

I bite my lower lip. I do not own any valuables that can recompense a seven thousand worth of damage, but if there's one thing I value the most, it would be… myself.

"I can pay you with my body." The words flow out of my mouth and I witness the man before me look at me in disgust. The words must have come off wrong and I want to clear it up.

"I mean," I add quickly. "I'll work for you to pay that seven thousand."

"I don't need another mouth to feed in my own home." then he adds dubiously. "Especially not a beggar-looking woman with a terrible mouth who wants to march inside my life."

"Who do you think you are, you jerk?" I exclaim in horror. For the first time in my life, I encountered the most terrible man I had ever met.

He jerks his chin and I follow its direction. Behind me is a massive poster with the phrase: "MAN OF THE YEAR" and a picture of a man in a black suit. It took me five seconds to realize that the man standing before me is the same guy in the poster. Then I begin to scan my surroundings and everywhere I look it's his face and his name that greets my eyes.

Natsume Hyuuga.

It has dawn me that this Natsume Hyuuga is a big shot that I shouldn't have crossed in the beginning.

"You know what, I think I can use your offer," he declares, making my line of thoughts break. "I have something you can do."

I gulp. I regret the words that came out from my mouth a while ago and I doubt on whether I could withstand this trial that has pop out in front of me or not. I could feel sweat in my palms and I try not to look I'm nervous but I think this Natsume Hyuuga can see right through me. The 'Man of the Year' award is not given freely to any citizen in Japan for free, it has to be difficultly earned. As I analyze the ideas on what could this man have done to earn the trust of the public, my thoughts are cut off with the sound of a helicopter.

In just a matter of a few seconds, men garb in black suits start to surround Natsume Hyuuga and a few people halt to see what the commotion is about.

"Alpha," one man speaks to his walkie-talkie. "We have secured the eagle, over."

"No need for this kind of conditions, Andou." Natsume Hyuuga says.

"But, sir, we found your car and it's heavily damaged," his bodyguard explains. "We thought that a bullet has gotten through."

"A bullet? What has gotten through is a can, Andou. I ought to call the car's manufacturer. I have to inquire on how a piece of junk destroyed my windshield."

I stifle a laugh, but I think they must have heard a little since they glance at me with blank expressions in their face.

"She _shot_ the can." Natsume Hyuuga tells the man called Andou.

"Permission to heavily torture her, sir?" his bodyguard asks.

He concocts a grin—a grin that could destroy my life. "No, Andou, I have something better in mind."

I begin to fear for my life. Perhaps I'm worshipping the wrong god all these years.

"Want a bit of excitement in your life?" he asks and I know he's mocking me. The man thinks I have a boring life, a life not worth living for any 18 year old out there.

He doesn't know.

He doesn't know that I blog in Tumblr.

And I have the sudden urge to tell him that, but he probably would not understand.


	3. Chapter 2

Title: Buy Me With Your Love

Chapter Two

I watched a movie once. It's about two vampires who "bonded", they formed a pact that they would be together forever. To bind oneself to another is a pretty scary thing to do and right now, that pretty much sums up what he wants to happen.

"Here it is," he says as he drops a thick stack of papers in front of me. I read the words typewritten on the cover. _Contract_. The word isn't new to me, I heard it before. I see it used in movies, novels, and real life, but I never got involved with it. After all, I'm still in college and life after college meant a lot of those. "Let's handle this in a civilized manner."

He smiles once again and I'm starting to be scared.

At this very moment, I'm sitting on a plush leather chair in Natsume Hyuuga's office. Everything in the room described its owner perfectly—neat, suave, and intimidating. The man probably does not have any lover since his desk is composed of office items and not one single picture frame.

I suddenly feel that the room has gone colder. Or am I just sweating?

I stare at the papers again and based from its lengthy amount, it would perhaps take me four hours to finish reading the entire thing. He probably notices my worry since he takes my silence as a chance to elaborate more.

"Turn it to page 78," I follow his instruction and flip the pages casually. "Everything is pretty much summed up there. You can see at the bottom of the paper, it says that 'Natsume Hyuuga swears from everything to page 1 up to page 77 has been summarized in page 78.'"

"Then why not just send me page 78 alone?" I ask.

He cocks a brow and looks at me stupendously as if I'm a talking animal. "Good observation," he says. "I just like to keep everything my way."

"My way?"

He clears his throat and spins his chair the other way around. "I like everything to be precise and _neat_," he emphasizes the word clearly in hopes I would easily understand which I do. "I took the occasion to completely elaborate everything I want to say. No holes for you to escape."

I gulp.

**CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT**

On this day onwards (6-01-13), Mikan Sakura would be working under Natsume Hyuuga until the sum of seven thousand dollars is fully paid. In case, Mikan Sakura does not fulfill her job well, she will be put to jail and all her belongings would be placed as collateral.

For 140 days (4 months and 18 days), the employee would be working with $50 per day as her salary.

1. The employee will be provided of a shelter close to the employer's home.

2. The employee will be provided of food and water, but she will not receive any penny of her salary.

3. The employee will come to every beck and call of her employer.

4. The employee will not touch any of her employer's belongings.

5. The employee is not allowed to bring guests inside her abode without her employer's permission.

6. The employer has every right to command the employee in anything he asks for except when it endangers the employee's life.

7. The employee will work as a personal maid in the employer's abode and she is allowed to escort the employer in any event he wishes.

8. The employee must treat her employer with utmost respect.

9. The employee is still allowed to finish her studies during her residency.

"Nine rules for 77 pages?!" I exclaim.

He crosses his fingers and stares at me blankly. "Any problem with that, Miss Sakura?"

He must have thought a lot about those rules. If only I can find a single hole, I could show him that I'm not someone he should played with. "Nothing, _sir_."

"Ah," he says. "Rule 8 states that you must treat me with _utmost_ respect, Miss Sakura. From now on, you will call me as Sir Natsume Hyuuga. Full name."

"I haven't signed the contract yet." I hoot.

"But you will." He adds with a sly smirk etched on his face.

I slowly grab the pen before me and before I sign my name on the piece of paper that would control my life, I take one long look at my future boss. I stare at him as if it's my final way that I could show him that I'm nonconforming.

I leisurely take my time in etching my name on the contract. If only he knows what he is going to deal with from now on.

"Wait a minute," it only dawns at me right after I signed my name. "Rule 1 dictates that you will provide me a home, but where? If it's going to be in your lot, then I refuse."

"You cannot refuse, Miss Sakura." He says. "You already signed the contract."

"I want to amend." I reply.

He tuts. "That's not how it goes, Miss Sakura. You sign, you conform."

I feel like an utter idiot. How did I let this happen?

When I glance back at him, I see the end of his lips twitching! He must have been holding back his laugh. He mouths and it just adds more oil to the fire, "Employer-1, Employee-0."

* * *

I'm back now at my apartment. Ever since I moved here seven months ago, I never got the chance to clean the entire place. Most of my things are still inside the packaging boxes and the only ones that are out are my clothes, cooking utensils, and the dinner ware. Hyuuga only gave me 30 minutes to get the things I need, the rest would be sent later on. So I pack up my Jansport bag and put a few clothes and other necessities in there.

"Are you already don— woah, what the hell is this place?" Hyuuga comes into the room and gapes at the entire scene before him. My place must be the epitome of what he's standing up against: dirt, germs, and mess. "Oh God, I didn't know that you're such a pig." He notices the stack of unwashed dishes and the stench of the 1 and a half week old garbage and that makes him rush out of the room and into the hallway.

"You…" he pants as he takes out a small bottle from his coat's inner pocket and sprays a pleasing aroma around the area. "Hurry up, I can't stand the place."

"I need to talk to the owner, I need to tell her that I'm moving out." I tell him, but he hushes me with another spray from his bottle.

"My men will talk to her soon," he states. "Hurry now and let's leave before the germs gets to us."

I gawk at his display of disgust. Nobody would have thought that the man of the year would react so violently to this kind of mess. Or perhaps I'm just too immune with my surrounding.

He grabs the bag from my hand which leads me to yell at him. "Hey, where are you going with my bag?!"

He doesn't look back at me and continues to walk outside. "I'm carrying it for you. I maybe your employer, but I'm a gentleman."

I take a long stare at his back and notice how broad his shoulders and how graceful he is with every movement he makes. Perhaps he's not heartless after all. He glances at me and cocks a brow. "I don't have all day, Miss Mikan Sakura, so hurry up."

His statement makes my reverie disappear and I rush outside to join him.

* * *

I tightly grasp my backpack's strap. I couldn't believe what I'm seeing right now. It has only been 10 minutes since we arrived at Hyuuga's house and we went straight to the place I would be living. Inside his huge land, there's a quaint and small building that caters a room to every servant he has. My room is twice bigger than my old apartment and everywhere I look, it feels like I'm in a five-star hotel. The entire floor is carpeted with red velvet, the window frames are engraved with intricate angelic designs, I have my own comfort room inside, and there's even a receiving area inside my room. I tell to myself that this is too good to be true.

"Miss Sakura, your mouth is open." Hyuuga informs me and instantly close my mouth. I couldn't believe that I hit the jackpot!

"Don't celebrate so soon, Miss Sakura," Hyuuga tells me which makes me remember that I am now a slave to a person like him. "This is just only the beginning."

A young man clad in white from head to toe pops out and gives Hyuuga a polite bow. "This is Yuu Tobita," Hyuuga introduces the boy next to him. "He's the same age as you, I believe. He's the head butler so treat him with respect as well. I would take my leave now, I have more important matters to attend to, Mister Tobita would tend to your questions, if you have any."

"Good afternoon, Miss Mikan Sakura." The boy in glasses greets.

"Ah, you may call me Mikan," I tell him. "Calling me Miss even though we're in the same age is just too formal for me."

He gives out a small smile. "I'll try, M-Mikan."

I beam out an assuring smile that I prefer this way.

"As of this moment, you're the first female Sir Natsume Hyuuga has ever hired, so right now you're the only one residing at this floor. You see, males and females are not allowed to live in the same floor." Yuu explains. "Do you see that phone right there?" he points his index finger and I follow its direction. "If Sir Natsume Hyuuga calls for you, he will reach you through that."

"Do you have to call him like that?" I ask.

"Sorry, I b-beg your pardon?" he looks at me oddly.

"Do you have to call him by his full name even though he's not here? I mean, he's not here so he's not gonna know." I tell him.

He looks at me sternly and I must have pressed the wrong button. "Sir Natsume Hyuuga is a very kind man. I wish to treat him like this. I owe my life to him and I would do everything to repay all the good deeds he has done for me. I'm the head butler, but I'm also the head of security so you better watch your back Miss Mikan Sakura, because I'll be watching you." Then he leaves.

Yuu shoots daggers with his piercing stare and I feel cold sweat pouring behind my back. I have to remind myself not to cross Yuu Tobita. He's so gaga over Hyuuga.


	4. Chapter 3

Title: Buy Me With Your Love

Chapter Three

I remembered asking my uncle once about my parents' whereabouts, he responded by smiling and pointing up the ceiling. At the age of four, I thought my parents were living in the attic, I guess I was wrong. At the age of six, I accidentally found an old photo of him and a girl, when I asked him was that girl my aunt, he responded by, "How I wish, Mikan." Right after I turned eighteen, Uncle Narumi has already reached his limit, his last words were "Forgive me, forgive me." Five months passed since that day and I still do not know what he was asking for forgiveness for.

Uncle Narumi had always been a strong believer in Christ. He believed in the existence of heaven and hell, of angel and demons, and of eternal life. He was a man that I would always look up to. He told me that demons were everywhere, but my demon took form of a human named Natsume Hyuuga.

It has already been two days since I signed the contract and he has been making me work nonstop. There are times he would make unreasonable orders like summoning me in his room just to order me to reach him the remote control which was just a few meters away from him.

"Where are you going?" asked Koko, a brown-haired boy who is still in high school and has been working under Yuu Tobita's gardening committee. For the last two days, I have managed to know and memorize half of the household's names and faces.

"School." I reply.

"But isn't it your vacation?" he asks once again as he snips another weed.

"I'm part of the student government, they require me to attend meetings," I reply once again. "School would start next week though."

He wipes a sweat from his forehead and comments, "That's early."

I smile weakly. "True." Before I could manage to leave, Koko asks me one last question. "What's your role in the student government?"

"Vice-president for internal affairs."

Alice University is a prestigious school built by the rich, attended by the privileged, and made for the poor. Alice U scholarships are given based from a student's academic capability, finance stability and performance level in extra-curricular activities. Since I fitted the scholarship's requirements, I got the chance to be part of Alice University.

"Good morning, Mikan!" greets one student as I arrive in the campus.

"Mikan-sama, how do you do?" another asks.

Soon a flock of students start to gather around me. It's surprising how the school is currently in vacation but there are quite a number of students in the campus. It must be because they are planning for the next batch of students' welcoming in their organizations.

"Mikan, did you get the chance to approve Archery Club's upcoming event?" asks a student.

Ah, I remember that one. The Archery Club is petitioning for having a huge and festive parade which requires a huge budget. Some of Alice University's students can be really spoiled brats. I remember not accepting that request and putting it in the disapproved drawer. "I'll see to it." I lie.

There really are times that I have to lie. These students are only nice to me since I'm the one who approves of their ideas and events, so they're sucking up to me even though they detest my history of me being poor and indebted.

As I arrive in the conference room, I see the other three heads of the executive offices. Anna Umenomiya is the executive secretary, her office is in charge of keeping the documents and its information and transcribing the minutes of the meeting. One of her people is currently with us to document the entire meeting. Hotaru Imai is the executive treasurer, she is in charge of approving the funds and budget of every student organization. Youichi Hijiri is the youngest among all of us and is the vice president of external affairs, his office basically is in charge of off-campus activities and events.

As I take my seat beside Youichi, all of us continue to wait for the president. After a few minutes, Subaru Imai enters the room and we all stand up to greet him.

"Since next week is the start of our school year, most of the student organizations are in the campus preparing their booths to welcome the students. Have you disapproved any ideas they submitted?"

Ah, the Archery Club.

-;-

After three hours of discussing every organization's requests, the meeting has finally ended. I stretch out my arms and look outside the window. Outside the campus, a black limousine is parked. There are a couple of paparazzi flooding the area and are taking pictures of the car and the school. It must be another celebrity student who committed a scandal.

"Hotaru," Subaru calls his sister. "Mother told me to tell you that you must attend tonight's business party. You can't keep on rejecting every invitation you receive."

Hotaru rolls her eyes and plugs her earphones into her ears, but Subaru pulls them, much to his sister's annoyance. "It's boriiiiiing." Her voice drags. "I can't stand those kinds of parties."

"But this party's desserts are made by my company!" Anna argues. "Oh, you must come, Hotaru. You have to try the chocolate lava cakes I baked."

"Are there any cream puffs?" Youichi asked.

Anna nodded gleefully.

"I guess I'll attend then." Youichi says.

This kind of conversation is very usual to us. Among the five, I am the only one who could not relate to anything they say. Anna glances at me and catches me looking at them, "Do you want to come, Mikan? You better try the carrot cakes my mom personally decorated and made."

I smile ruefully. "Sorry, I can't."

"Awww," Anna moans. "That's too bad then."

I do want to attend though. Who wouldn't want to attend an extravagant party full of expensive meals and pretty sights? It's just that I didn't have anything in my closet that would fit the event. I usually have tees, jeans and clothes from shops of hand-me-downs.

I give out a yawn and accidentally look outside once again. This time, I choke. Everyone in the room looks at me and Youichi pats my back and asks, "Are you okay? Your face says like it saw a ghost."

A ghost? It isn't a ghost. It is the devil. In the black limousine, surrounded by countless of paparazzi, I saw Natsume Hyuuga staring right at me and motioning his index finger to come to him.

"I have to go n-now." I tell everyone and before they could ask anymore question, I rush out of the room and towards the campus gate.

I see Alice U's students slowly occupy the area near the campus gate. Some of them are howling and screaming while some are taking their iPhones and Samsung gadgets to take a picture.

"What's happening?" I ask one student who's near me.

"Natsumehyuugaishere." It comes out as a rushed spurt. "He's so hot! I can't believe he's picking up someone here! It must be his girlfriend!"

I gulp. A girlfriend? If only they knew, he's not picking up his lover, he's fetching his slave. I brush past a couple more students and finally reach the outside gate. One of the school guards stops me, but Andou cuts him off and gestures me to go inside the vehicle as soon as possible.

When everyone sees me entering the car, all the noise died and silence lingers in the air.

"Oh, it's Sakura." I hear them whisper.

I close the car's door and all of Natsume Hyuuga's bodyguards immediately ride their respective cars.

"Why did you do this?" I shout at him.

Hyuuga cocks a brow and looks at me harshly. "No thanks? How ungrateful."

"I didn't ask you to fetch me!" This time I see the driver glance at me sternly.

"It is part of the contract, Miss Sakura." He tells me. "It assures me that you would not escape from me and I already notified Alice University's admins that from now on you are not allowed to go outside the campus without my permission."

I drop a jaw. Who is Natsume Hyuuga to tell Alice University, the country's leading academic institution, what to do? "It's not part of the contract, Hyuuga."

His eyebrow knits. "That's Sir Natsume Hyuuga to you, Miss Sakura," he corrects me and it begins to anger me how he corrects my mistakes. "And to make the facts straight, it is part of the contract. It is in page 68, line 5, Miss Sakura. Did you even read the contract?"

I clench my fists to the point I see white lines starting to appear. Truth is I didn't get to read the contract since I've been busy because I've been answering every beck and call he made.

"You didn't have to fetch me yourself," I say. "Look at the trouble you are brewing. Paparazzi and the wild crowd."

He chuckles. "Just my mere appearance causes quite a stir, doesn't it?"

I suppress the urge to slap him.

"True though," he suddenly says. "I didn't have to pick you up myself. It's not part of the contract."

"Then why did you?" I ask him.

He smirks. "Because you and I," he leans in close to whisper. "Have a party to attend to."

I suddenly feel a warm sensation in my cheeks. "P-Party?"

"My associate is throwing a party and it requires an escort, so you have to do." He explains. "It is, after all, part of your _contract_." He emphasizes the last word very clearly.

The odds of Hyuuga asking me to a party and the officers talking about a party seem too coincidental. It didn't take me long to add the two are the same.

"I don't have anything to wear." I immediately inform him.

He stays silent and I begin to worry.

"Andou, take the next left turn and stop by Gioppe's. I'm afraid we have to make a detour."

"W-Wait, I can't afford anything from Gioppe's." I tell him.

"Who says you're going to pay?" he asks with a smile.


End file.
